


Sweet, Sweet Honey

by psychedelichaz



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, American AU, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, B!Harry, Bad Boy Louis Tomlinson, Blow Jobs, Bottom Harry, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Harry Styles Has a Crush on Louis Tomlinson, Heavy Angst, Idk I hate tagging smut so there's smut, Innocent Harry Styles, Jealous Louis, Lots of weed hehe, M/M, Miscommunication, Oblivious Harry, Partying, Slow Burn, Summer Romance, Top Louis Tomlinson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:42:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24933208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychedelichaz/pseuds/psychedelichaz
Summary: Harry Styles had just graduated high school from a small town in Idaho. Needing a break, he visits his aunt in the even smaller town of Methow, Washington.Harry is intent on gaining work experience and possibly making a few friends but the small town turns out to have much more to offer.Harry Styles learns he's sensitive to coffee, alcohol, and 5'8 boys with tattoos.Especially ones with the name Louis Tomlinson.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	1. Golden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Welcome to Sweet, Sweet Honey. 
> 
> This fic is inspired by Golden - Harry Styles and also my brain on weed!
> 
> So here ya go. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it.

The best day in Harry’s life (or at least so far in his eighteen years) was the day he graduated high school. It was the day where possibilities seemed endless, spirits were high, and the day he got to leave the ugly old town he grew up in. 

Harry cursed the day his mother had decided to move them from the U.K to fucking middle of nowhere, Idaho. He was not a gun-toting American in any sense of the phrase, and he most certainly was not equipped to dealing with people who were. 

Harry had been waiting, quietly and politely (such were his ways), for the day he got to spread his wings. Highschool, in most cases, sucked dick for everyone. But for him, it really, really sucked dick. He had a few friends, sure. But, not the ones that made life worth living. Not friends like in the movies where they would lay their lives down for each other. He didn’t think that any of his friends would die for him. It was that mixed with the outstanding homophobia everyone seemed to possess in his town and school, especially. 

So, he kept that part of him a secret. He locked it away until he could be in a place that would accept it, cherish it. A place where he could be free. 

The night after graduation he packed all he could into two duffle bags and a backpack. He loaded his car with snacks and Redbull and drove to Methow, Washington. It was where his aunt and uncle lived. They ran a school there, and Harry had offered to help out in exchange for staying in their refurbished garage (and for some good food, of course). 

It had been a long time coming really, getting away. His mother had tried to get him to stay a few weeks after graduation, “to soak everything in” she said. But he couldn’t wait.

It took him 15 hours to get there, he drove all night and most of that next day, only stopping twice to pee and get gas. He had never done this before, driven alone for so long. It felt like freedom and it tasted so, so sweet. 

On the outskirts of town, he stopped in at a coffee shop. He decided he would pick his aunt and uncle up some sweets, arriving empty-handed would be rude.

The coffee shop was small, a few wooden tables scattered around. There were a couple of bookshelves pressed against the walls. Books with torn pages and worn spines sitting haphazardly on their shelves. Harry’s eyes fell on a couple sitting in the corner, discussing something quietly over two hot cups of coffee. As he passed them they paused their conversation to smile at him. He smiled back, dimples appearing on either side of his face. 

Harry approached the register, eyes scanning the menu that was hung on the wall. His eyebrows furrowed, he had never heard of half of these items before. 

“Do you need help?” A voice asked from behind the counter. 

Harry’s eyes widen, his stomach fluttering with anxiety. “Oh, uh. Sorry, yeah. I’ve just never seen most of these drinks before.” He trailed off, lip pulled between teeth.

The boy laughed. “Where are you from? The Antarctic?” 

“I’m from Idaho, actually.” Harry corrected him, fingers drumming on the counter.

“Well, that explains it.” The boy told him with raised eyebrows. 

Harry didn’t wait to ask what the boy meant by that. “What do you recommend?” He questioned, gesturing towards the menu. 

“Depends. Matcha is good if you don’t like coffee but our lattes are also pretty fire. And you can never go wrong with a cold brew.” The boy shrugged. Harry could tell he really didn’t care what he ordered. 

“I’ll take a Matcha, please. Iced.” Harry decided. He wasn’t big on strong drinks. Plus, he was sensitive to caffeine. 

“You got it. Anything else?” 

Harry looked at the case that held the sweets, surveying his options. “Yeah...Two apple croissants.”

“You got a date you’re trying to impress or something?” The boy teased, pushing his fringe out of his eyes. 

“No, no. I’m staying with my aunt and uncle for the summer. I didn’t want to show up empty-handed.” Harry was suddenly very aware of the girl standing behind him, waiting to order. When he threw her a polite smile, she smiled back, seeming unaffected by how long Harry was taking to pay. 

The boy smirked. “So polite.”

“It’s the way I was raised,” Harry spoke slowly, unsure if he was being made fun of. 

“What’s your last name? Maybe I know your family.”

“Styles. I’m Harry Styles.” Harry introduced himself. He expected the boy to return the favor, to tell him his name, but he didn’t. 

“Styles, yeah. Sounds familiar.” The boy hummed, nodding his head slightly. “Okay, that will be 6.50.”

Harry rummaged around in his pockets, pulling out a ten-dollar bill and handing it over. “What’s your name?” Harry decided to ask as the boy took the bill from his slightly shaky hand. 

“Zayn. Zayn Malik.” The boy, Zayn, said. 

Harry thrust his hand out, almost demanding Zayn to take it. “It’s nice to meet you, Zayn Malik.” 

Zayn shook his hand, his grip firm. “It’s been a pleasure Styles,” Zayn said cheekily. 

Harry blushed slightly, throwing Zayn a smile as he moved to let the girl behind him order. He watched the blonde girl lean against the counter, breasts pushed up against her shirt. Zayn looked at her, face lacking any sort of emotion. 

“Hey, Taylor.” He almost yawned. 

She said something in response, voice soft and reassuring. Zayn let out a short laugh, hands focused on making Harry’s drink. 

“Here you go,” Zayn said, pushing the items across to counter towards Harry. 

Harry smiled. “Thanks, Zayn.” 

“See you around dude,” Zayn called in response, already turning to help Taylor with her order. 

Harry jumped back in the car, driving the fifteen minutes to their house. He had only been here once, as a child. He barely remembered it, only faint memories of playing by the lake with his cousins. Of course, both cousins were off in college now, which Harry was endlessly jealous of. 

Harry was still unsure of what he was going to do. His parents had pushed going to college all his life, wanting him to become a doctor or scientist or something else fancy with a title. But, Harry knew he didn’t want that. He wasn’t even really good at math or science. So, he had decided to take a year off to weigh his options. 

Harry pulled up to the house. It was small, the outside painted a light blue and framed in white. It had been recently repainted, that much was clear. They had a large front yard, green grass untamed, and scattered with flowers. The garage was built next to it, two old cars parked in front. 

Harry texted his aunt that he was outside, popping open the trunk to grab his things. 

Harry heard his aunt before he saw her, a loud screech followed by a large dog jumping on him from behind. He turned around quickly, welcomed by a lab attempting to lick his face. He laughed loudly, eyes falling on his disapproving aunt with her hands on her hips. 

She shook her head. “That darn dog never listens to me, I swear.” 

“Hi, Aunt Paige.” Harry greeted her, walking forward to embrace her in a hug. She hugged him back, holding him tightly against her. 

“It’s good to see you, Harry,” Paige told him, holding him at an arm's distance to get a better look at him. 

“It’s good to be here.” He grinned. Harry wasn’t used to affection like this. 

“Let’s get your stuff in the garage.” She said, picking up one of his duffles from the ground. The dog, Rosie, sniffed at his heels as they walked inside. 

The garage had two rooms. The main room and the bathroom. The main room was painted an off-white, walls bare from any sort of decoration. There was a window on either side, curtains open to let the sun in. 

“I thought we could go into town and get you some things to make this feel more like home. It had all of Cole’s stupid posters cluttering it before.” Paige said, sitting on the desk chair by the window. There was even a TV sitting opposite the queen-sized bed. Harry imagined himself catching up on all the shows he wasn’t able to watch when he was so focused on getting perfect grades. 

“That would be nice, thank you, Aunt Paige.” He said, truly thankful. 

She stood, a smile still warm on her face. “I’ll leave you to get settled in. Ron is out getting some things for dinner. The neighbors are coming over to meet you as well. They have a boy slightly older than you.” Paige mentioned.

“Sounds great! I actually met someone today when I was at a coffee shop-Oh! Speaking of, I bought croissants.” Harry pulled the two bags out of his backpack. They were still warm. He handed them to her. “Here you go!” He added. She took them with a grin, peeking inside at the contents.“His name was Zayn Malik. Do you know his family?” Harry questioned. 

Paige made a face as if she knew more than she was letting on. “The Maliks...Yes. They live in town.” She told him. “I heard Zayn's a bit of a trouble maker.” 

“Oh? He seemed nice enough to me.” Harry said earnestly. 

“You always have seen the best in people.” Paige noted, hand on the doorknob.“Well, I’ll see you in an hour.” She added before letting the door close behind her. 

Harry spun around, soaking everything in. It was bigger than his room back home, the bed covered in clean, white, sheets. The TV rested on a dresser, drawers empty. He decided to start unpacking, separating his jeans from his t-shirts. 

Harry tended to dress simply. Usually in jeans, his trusty old converse, and a t-shirt. He typically threw on the jean jacket he had had for years on over it. He liked band tees, they were always conversation starters. If he was feeling fancy he would put on a button-down or a sweater, sometimes even black or brown boots. 

After putting all his clothes away he decided to shower, he still had a while until dinner and needed to wash the car ride off of him. He turned the water on, waiting for it to get hot. Rummaging through the bathroom cabinets, he searched for shampoo and conditioner. That was probably something he should have brought. He would need to get that in town, too. Harry made a mental note to start making a list.   
“Strawberry?” Harry read the label of a half-empty bottle of shampoo. His face contorted in disgust. He opened the bottle to smell it, finding it wasn’t bad actually. Shrugging, he brought it into the shower with him. 

Harry dressed in black jeans, pulling a Pink Floyd t-shirt over his head, followed by his denim jacket. After slipping on his converse, he fixed his hair in the bathroom mirror. His curls framing his face perfectly. 

There was a knock on the door, followed by a dog barking. “One moment!” Harry called. 

He opened the door to find Paige, Rosie at her feet. “The neighbors have just arrived, dinner will be ready in thirty minutes.” She informed him. 

“I’ll come in and introduce myself.” He said, following her outside. 

The main house was warm. Harry quickly noticed the glimmering of a fire being started. Ron was bent over the fireplace, throwing wood inside. Standing next to him was another man who was slightly shorter. He was bald and wore black-framed glasses. 

Paige touched Harry’s shoulder gently, guiding him into the kitchen. A woman with brown hair was leaning against the counter, wine glass in hand. “Hello! My name is Laurie.” She introduced herself. She stretched out a manicured hand towards Harry, which he took, shaking it.

“I’m Harry.” He grinned. She had great energy. 

“My son is hiding in the bathroom.” She joked, raising the wineglass to her lips. 

“No, I am not.” A voice commanded attention from behind them. 

Harry turned to find the source, meeting a short boy with very, very blue eyes. He gulped. The boy in front of him was stunning. His light brunette hair tucked behind his ears, held at bay by a green headband. There were tattoos covering his arms, something Harry had never seen in real life before. He wore black jeans, almost identical to Harry’s and they clung to his thighs in a way Harry just couldn’t properly articulate. A white t-shirt hung loosely on his torso, sharp collar bones exposed. 

“This is my son, Louis,” Laurie spoke, her voice bringing Harry back down to reality. 

“Lovely to meet you,” Louis said with venom, eyes not meeting Harry’s.  
“It’s...Lovely to meet you too.” Harry responded, earnestly. Louis’ shoulders tensed and he glanced up at Harry. His eyebrows furrowed for a second as he took him in. 

“Isn’t it?” Louis teased, turning his back to Harry and walking away.

Harry looked back at Laurie and Paige, who stood there, unphased. “Is he always like that? Did I do something?” He asked, worried that something he had done had come off as offensive. 

“No, no. He’s just in a bad mood…” Laurie trailed off. “All the time.” She added. 

Paige snorted, then quickly covered her mouth, eyes wide with embarrassment. Laurie looked at her, and at first, Harry was worried they were about to fight. But Laurie let out a loud cackle, wine almost spilling from her glass. 

“All the time.” Paige echoed, clutching her stomach. 

Harry turned to find Louis, who was sat, headphones in, on the couch. He was completely oblivious to the two women laughing at him in the kitchen. Harry watched as Louis’ fingers drummed a rhythm on his thigh. It was endearing, despite everything.

“Harry!” Ron called, the fire roaring. He walked towards him, clapping him on the shoulder. Harry stumbled slightly, making Ron laugh. “So good to see you. I’m sure you’re hungry, dinner should be ready very soon.” He informed him. “This is my best friend, Frank.” He pointed behind him, where Louis’ dad stood. Frank waved slightly but didn’t offer up his hand to shake. Like father, like son. 

The rest of the night went by quickly, Louis barely looking in Harry’s direction except when to ask him how old he was. When Harry had told him he turned eighteen in February Louis rolled his eyes, making some off comment about ‘highschoolers.’ 

Harry learned that Louis was twenty, he went to college in Seattle where he was studying music (which Harry wanted to talk with him about). Louis was single but had had a long term girlfriend a year ago (Laurie was an over-sharer) and since then he’s been a “bit sad.”

After Louis and his family left, Harry sat on the couch in the main house, watching a movie with Paige. He could feel her looking at him, but didn’t say anything. 

“Do you like him?” Paige asked after a while.

“Who?”

“Louis.”

Harry’s heart stopped in his chest. Could she tell by the way he had looked at him?

“What do you mean?” He asked nervously. 

“I know he’s a bit rough around the edges but… I’m sure he would show you around if you needed someone.” 

“Oh, that’s okay.” Harry shook his head, pulling his knees to his chest. 

Paige stood, hands on her hips. “Okay, but let me know if you change your mind. I’m going to head up to bed. Stay here for as long as you want.” She said. 

“Goodnight aunt Paige.” Harry smiled softly. 

“Sweet dreams Harry.”

Harry fell asleep on the couch, not bothering to go back to the garage.


	2. Most Hated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! I've been focusing on my other fic lately. 
> 
> If you have any questions you can leave a comment or contact me on my twitter which is @louthesea. 
> 
> Thank you!

Harry woke to the feeling of slobber on his face and his eyes fluttered open, Rosie’s nose pressed against his cheek. He pushed her away playfully, wiping the spit away. The sun glinted through the windows, casting morning shadows on the wooden floor. Harry could tell it was still early, the bird’s calls only now warming their voices. He stood, stretching his arms over his head.   
His body was sore from cramming himself on the couch. 

Entering the garage, he flopped onto his bed, the sheets still made. He flicked through the channels, searching for something to entertain him. When he found nothing, he turned the TV off, letting himself drift off to sleep once more. 

He was awoken again, some hours later, by a knock on the door. Paige's voice carried through, his name on her tongue. 

Harry opened the door with hooded eyes, sleep clouding the corners of his vision. Paige chuckled at the sight of him. “You want to go into town?” She asked, filled with energy.

Harry rubbed his eyes, the vision of her becoming slightly clearer. “Yeah...Let me get dressed first?” He asked, nodding slowly. 

“Of course.” She said before closing the door. 

Harry rolled his shoulders back, mind flickering to his introduction with Louis the previous night. He had always been a sucker for pretty boys with bad attitudes, not that he had ever been allowed to do anything about it before. Was he allowed to do anything about it now? Paige and Ron had no idea, no one did. Harry tried not to think about the complications as he dressed. He wished suddenly that he had been born with a better fashion sense, that he understood which colors went well with his eyes, but he didn’t. 

Harry pulled a grey sweatshirt over his naked torso, thinking the summer heat would warm him enough. Cringing at his reflection in the mirror, he added a black beanie, his untamed curls flattening against his head. 

It was a short ride into town. Harry stared out the window, eyes catching on children playing in their front yards, basking in the summer sun. Dogs ran freely along with the cars, barking their heads off to the sound of lawnmowers and the whistling of trees. 

Idaho didn’t sound this free. 

They parked outside a small building, Harry’s eyes focused on the crowds that made their ways in and out of stores. He saw a family, a mom with her two kids, sitting on a bench and eating ice cream. He admired the way they seemed at ease around each other, the way their faces were free of tension, of fear. Harry had never felt that way around his family. Not even when he was little. 

They got out of the car silently. If Paige noticed something was off, she said nothing, leading him into a store that displayed art in the window. He looked around, hands behind his back as if walking in an art gallery. There were posters rolled up in baskets as well as tapestries hanging loosely from metal hooks. Harry took his time to inspect each one, fingers tracing the delicate patterns. 

Paige appeared by his side suddenly, “Finding anything you like?” She asked, her tone soft.   
“I like this one, I think.” He said, his eyes captured by a mostly plain tapestry. It was like the ocean, he thought, light blues blending into deeper shades. 

The lighter shade reminded him of Louis’ eyes. 

“That’s quite lovely.” Page agreed, joining him in his admiration. “Let me buy it for you.” She offered. 

Harry glanced at the price tag, reading the numbers ‘150.’ He shook his head rapidly. “No, no. It’s way too expensive. My mom gave me some spending money.”

“Well, at least let me buy you something. A poster?” Paige asked. Harry knew she wouldn’t give up until he gave in.

“Yeah, I’ll look for a poster.” 

Twenty minutes later, Harry and Paige left the store with the tapestry and a poster of the movie “Lost in Translation” which just happened to be Harry’s favorite movie. They walked to lunch, Harry’s stomach growling as he had skipped breakfast. 

The restaurant was small, similar to the coffee shop where he had met Zayn. The smell overwhelmed him as soon as he set foot inside, spices making a home in his nostrils. They were sat at a table by the wall and suddenly Harry felt overwhelmingly tired. He leaned his head against the cool wall, letting his eyes shut briefly. 

“Harry!” A deep voice startled him. He opened his eyes, finding Zayn himself standing by their table. Paige watched him, an unimpressed expression on her face. 

“Hi, Zayn!” Harry squeaked, managing a wide smile in response. 

“It’s good to see you, mate. This must be your aunt, Paige.” Zayn said, way more polite than when Harry had first met him. Harry nodded in confirmation, watching as the pair exchanged pleasantries. 

“Hey, we’re having a small group thing to celebrate the beginning of summer tonight if you would like to come.” Zayn offered, looking genuine. 

Harry quickly accepted, his stomach fluttering his excitement. He looked to Paige as if to ask for permission, then realized she wasn’t his mother. He didn’t have to answer to her.   
They exchanged phone numbers, Zayn promising to send him the address in a few hours. Harry could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest hours after their conversation.

Maybe Louis would be there, too.

He wasn’t. 

Harry stood, back against the wall, watching everyone drink from their red solo cups. He had never been to a party like this, where everyone was either drunk or high or both. Harry had only gone to small get-togethers and sometimes split a beer with a friend but he had never been drunk. And he had definitely never been high. It wasn’t that he didn’t like parties or he hated people who partied, he had just never felt comfortable enough to get drunk. He cherished control, in all forms. 

“How you doin mate?” Zayn appeared suddenly, wrapping his arm around Harry’s shoulders. Harry looked down at his feet, his face flushing. 

“I’m okay.” He mumbled. 

“You want a drink?” Zayn asked, a beer already in his hand. 

“No. No, that's okay. I have to drive.” Harry responded.

“Well let me introduce you to some people.” 

Harry let Zayn drag him into the living room. The scent of weed wafted over him and he tried to hold his breath, he knew contact high was a very real thing. He attempted to hide his discomfort from Zayn, who seemed not to care less. They approached two people sitting by the window, cigarettes in their hands. People still smoked? The boy had short hair, his eyes a beautiful brown. He looked slightly mean like he would make fun of Harry back at home. The girl, on the other hand, looked very sweet. She had honey blonde hair that passed her shoulders and a glimmering smile. 

“This is Liam and this is Taylor,” Zayn told him. “And this is Harry.” He clapped Harry on the back, knocking him off balance slightly. 

Liam snorted. “Hi, Harry.” He said, not bothering to offer his hand. Maybe people in Washington just didn't shake hands. 

His thoughts were suddenly proven wrong though, as Taylor placed her hand in his. “It’s nice to meet you, Harry. Sorry that Liam here is an asshole.” She laughed. Her eyes were rimmed with red, obviously due to the smell that surrounded them. 

“No, no, he’s great,” Harry reassured them as if Liam wasn’t sitting right there watching them with an amused look on his face. “And it’s lovely to meet you as well.” He added. 

“Such a cutie,” Taylor said, her fingers squeezing Harry’s cheeks as she laughed loudly. Harry forced a smile onto his face. He was beginning to realize that being around drunk people while sober wasn’t very fun. 

“Okay, okay Taylor. Hands off.” Zayn ordered, a grin still resting on his face. Harry threw him a thankful glance as Taylor retracted her hands, pouting. 

Liam sat silently, watching everything go down. Harry couldn’t tell if he hated him or just couldn’t care less but it was bugging him to his core. He hated it when people didn’t like him. That was part of the reason he couldn’t get Louis off his mind. 

“I’ll be back Harry. Don’t let Taylor baby you too much.” Zayn told him, disappearing into the crowd. 

Taylor’s eyes lit up as she turned towards Harry again. “So Harry. Do you have a girlfriend?” She asked as if her life had been leading up to asking this one question.

“No. No.” Harry shook his head, feeling awkward standing in front of them. 

“Have you ever?”

“Nope.”

“Are you a virgin?” Taylor asked, her eyes narrowing.

“Taylor,” Liam spoke up, his voice a warning. 

“What? I’m just being friendly.” She rolled her eyes, her voice growing high in her throat. 

Harry opened his mouth, feeling like he was being put on the spot. “Yeah, actually but-” 

“It’s not a bad thing by any means.” Taylor backtracked. 

“Taylor,” Liam warned again. 

Taylor threw her hands up in the air. “What? It’s cute. I’m not judging.” She tried to reassure. 

“Taylor, he’s obviously gay.” Liam deadpanned, no judgment sensed in his voice. 

“He is?” Taylor furrowed her eyebrows at Liam and then turned towards Harry.“You are?” She questioned. 

“Uh.” Harry ran a hand through his hair, clearing his throat. “Yeah, actually.” He confirmed, looking at his feet.“But I’ve never told anyone before.” He admitted. 

Taylor blushed slightly. “Oh, that’s okay! Liam and I won't tell anyone. Right, Liam?”   
She spoke quickly, eyes searing into Liam.

“Of course not,” Liam said, nodding his head, still looking entirely bored.

Harry managed a smile. “Thank you guys, that’s very nice.” He said honestly. 

Thirty minutes later and Harry found himself alone again, sitting on a chair in the living room. He was watching Zayn and Taylor dance alone in front of the TV. Most of the people had already left and honestly, he wasn’t really sure why he was still there. But for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to leave. It was better than being completely alone in the garage watching some bad Netflix show. Liam was in the same place he was before, lips held tightly around a joint. 

Harry was about to get up to use the bathroom when he heard a loud voice come through the front door. “Hello fuckers, I’ve arrived.” The voice exclaimed, followed by the door slamming shut. 

Zayn stopped dancing to yell back, leaving Taylor pouting and alone. Liam scoffed, his joint almost finished. The stranger finally entered the room and Harry’s heart dropped out of his stomach and onto the floor. 

Louis stood in the doorway, looking as beautiful as ever. Harry had already come to terms with the fact that he might just never see Louis again and had convinced himself that it didn’t even really matter. But as he looked at Louis and how amazing he looked under fluorescent lights, he knew that it mattered. For some reason, it really mattered. 

Harry attempted to sink back into the chair, not wanting to be seen quite yet. He watched as Louis threw his arms around Zayn, an actual smile plastered onto his face. He was small compared to Zayn and Harry couldn’t help but think of how they would look standing next to each other as he was even taller than Zayn. 

Harry was so lost in his thoughts he didn't notice when the room quieted. “What’s he doing here?” Louis asked eyes pointed at where Harry was sitting. 

“I invited him, Louis,” Zayn said. “Play nice.”

Harry was starting to feel like everyone hated him and he wasn’t even really sure why he was here. He felt pathetic and lonely and suddenly there were tears pushing at the back of his eyeballs. 

Louis snorted, arms crossed. “Why?” He asked, gaze still focused on Harry. 

Harry felt small under Louis’ stare, small and unimportant. Taylor rolled her eyes, moving to sit on the armchair next to Harry. 

“He’s adorable, Lou. And my new best friend.” She grinned, her hand playing with the hair on the back of Harry’s neck. 

Even though she was a lot, Harry felt grateful for the kind action. Maybe they could be friends. 

“Whatever.” Louis groaned, walking to the window to sit next to Liam, who had stayed silent through the whole exchange. They whispered something to each other that Harry couldn’t make out and Liam laughed loudly. 

“Ignore them okay?” Taylor said to him under her breath. “They act like assholes most of the time.” She explained. “But they’re not bad people.”

“Louis came over to mine for dinner last night. He wouldn’t even look at me. At least he’s acknowledging I exist now.” Harry told her.

She took a moment to respond, breathing deeply. “He has trouble with new people. It took him forever to even tolerate me.” Taylor told him. 

“Why?”

“That’s something for him to tell you if he wants. It’s not my place.”

“Okay.” Harry could accept that and he admired that even while she was stoned out of her mind, she wouldn’t tell him. 

“Him and Zayn are like super, super close. Sometimes it gets weird.”

Harry opened his mouth to ask what she meant but was interrupted by Zayn calling for them all to do shots. Harry watched as Louis grabbed one with excitement and knocked it down, barely phased. 

The rest of the night went by quickly, and Harry watched from the sidelines as everyone got more and more wasted. He left at around 2 am, driving Taylor back to her place and accepting a sloppy kiss on the cheek as thanks. When he got home he collapsed onto his bed, letting the night sink in slowly. 

Yes, Louis and Liam probably hated him. Yes, Taylor was overbearing and loud but she was also kind of sweet. And yes, he had a huge fat crush on someone who couldn’t even look at him. 

But that was life. Complicated, messy, and contradicting. And Harry was ready to live it.


	3. Peer Pressure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like Kendall and Niall!!

Today was Harry’s first day of work at the school 

He never really got nervous over these types of things. He was good at working, at school, at learning. Plus, the fact that he actually had manners made him easily likable so he usually floated well enough along in any sort of job. Back at home, he had worked in a daycare. For a while, he thought that maybe that’s what he would want to do in the future, work with kids. But he could never be sure, something always told him that that wasn’t quite right, that he was meant to do something else. 

The school his aunt worked at was small. It was one of the only private schools in the area so they didn’t have a lot of students. It was composed of three main buildings, one being an office that was built in an old house. 

As Harry walked inside, the smell of cinnamon buns and coffee overwhelmed him. There was a desk sitting almost right in front of the door, cramped in along a small table that held a coffee maker and a plate of stale looking donuts. Behind the desk, sat a girl with raven black hair. She looked up expectantly as he entered, her expression frozen in place as she took in the boy in front of her. 

“Hi, how can I help you?” She asked, her voice tinged with a slight impatience. 

His face flushed slightly, “Hi! I’m Harry, today is my first day here.” He gushed.

She looked at him for a moment, as if inspecting every inch of him with her deep brown eyes. Finally, she nodded. “Oh, Harry, right. I’m supposed to show you around. I’m Kendall.” 

“Nice to meet you, Kendall.” Harry grinned, approaching the desk with apprehension. 

“Yeah, great to meet you too.” She spoke reluctantly. 

Harry spent the next hour being shown around the office. Kendall described each task with immense detail and gave him a rundown of every inch of the supply cabinet. She spoke slowly as if she had all the time in the world. Harry listened carefully, soaking in all the information that he could. He wanted to be good at this. He wanted to repay his aunt for all her kindness. So, he let Kendall drone on for what seemed like a year until they were interrupted by a bouncy looking boy wearing khakis. 

At first glance, Harry would assume that the blonde-headed boy with tan skin would be the type of person to hate someone like himself. But, his smile was wide and exposed all of his teeth, which were perfectly shaped and straight. Harry heard Kendall sigh deeply beside him as she tapped her nails along the top of the desk. 

The boy stood there, smiling, with bright eyes flicking between both of them. “Well, you must be Harry.” He said after he realized neither of them were going to say anything. 

Harry nodded rapidly, extending his hand. Niall took it graciously, his grip firm. “I am. And you are?” Harry asked with one eyebrow raised. 

“Niall. Niall Horan.” He spoke quickly, a stark contrast to Kendall’s slow drawl. “I do the finances,” Niall explained. 

“Sounds...Interesting.” Harry managed to spit out even though it really didn’t. 

Niall chuckled (like really, chuckled). “It’s not.” 

Harry blushed again, an action he was getting quite used to doing since he got here. He looked back at Kendall, almost for help. She might be standoffish and kind of rude but he got the feeling she had a good heart. He felt comfortable around her. Whereas with Niall, he still couldn’t get a good read on him. He would have to ask Kendall later in private. 

Kendall didn’t return his glance. Instead, she pulled out her phone and started texting furiously. Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“Were you at that thing the other day?” Niall asked, hands shoved deep into his pockets. He bounced on the back of his heels, seemingly always energetic. 

Harry took a deep, shaky, breath. “What thing?” 

“Zayn Malik’s thing.” Niall clarified, pulling at the end of his shirt subconsciously. 

“Oh. Yeah.” He said cautiously, unsure at what Niall was getting at. 

Niall laughed almost coldly. “Already falling into that crowd I see.” He said, his voice caught between joking and deadly serious. “They’re interesting.”

“To say the least.” Kendall snorted in response. 

Niall’s face returned to normal, his frown replaced with a smile.“Not bad, though. I dropped a friend off at that party. Taylor?” 

Harry’s eyes lit up, glad that they had something or someone in common. “Oh yeah, I met her. She’s really sweet.” Harry smiled, wondering what their connection was. 

“She is…” Niall trailed off, a dreamy look on his face. Kendall snorted again, putting her phone back into her pocket. 

“Niall has a crush on her.” Kendall murmured. 

Niall’s face flushed a deep red, “I don’t.” He stuttered out. 

Harry was starting to enjoy the boy in front of him, and the tension in his shoulders eased. 

Kendall smirked. “But everyone knows she’s in love with Louis Tomlinson.” 

Niall’s grimaced, shaking his head.“That dick. See, I don't have a problem with anyone else in that group besides him.” He said, sitting down behind his desk. 

“Not even Liam?” Kendall asked, her tone suggesting she already knew the answer. 

“Okay so maybe Liam as well.” Niall laughed. “But I like Zayn and Eleanor.”

“Who is Eleanor?” Harry asked quickly. 

“The girl Louis hooks up with and basically uses,” Kendall told him as if it was completely normal. 

Harry’s heart sank in his chest. “I thought he was gay?”

“Oh, so you know him?” Niall questioned, his tone on edge. 

“Kind of.” Harry just shrugged, looking down at his lap. 

“No, he’s into everything. But he’s also very picky apparently. He’ll probably end up marrying Eleanor.” Niall said.

Kendall scoffed. “You think?” She asked. “I think he’ll get her pregnant and then leave.”

“You’re awful Kendall,” Niall said through a consistent stream of laughs. Harry looked between them, confused about what their relationship actually was. 

For the following two hours, Kendall explained to Harry what his job was. He sat back as she taught him what to do on the computer as well as how to answer calls. She was really smart, he realized, and she seemed to be good at her job albeit bored. 

Their lunch break was at 1 and Kendall invited Harry to go out and get coffee with them, which he quickly accepted. He was feeling uneasy about staying friends with Zayn and that group if they were so widely unliked. He wanted to fit in. There must be a real reason why Niall didn’t like Louis or Liam. 

They walked a block to a small coffee shop Harry had never seen before. He ordered another Matcha, sipping on it silently as he listened to Niall and Kendall argue in front of him. 

“Why don’t you guys like Louis and Liam?” Harry asked suddenly, causing them to both stop talking and look at him. He shrunk back slightly in his seat, waiting for them to say something. 

“It’s a long story,” Kendall said slowly, her eyes narrow. 

Niall stared down at his drink, his face unreadable. 

“You don’t have to explain if you don’t feel comfortable, I just...I don’t want to be friends with anyone that are like horrible people or anything.” Harry said softly, eyes focused on Niall. 

Niall looked up suddenly, “Yeah, no I get it.” He said, face calm. “Kendall used to date Liam for one.” He paused, looking at Kendall who just smirked and looked away.“He just... He’s closed off and defensive and kind of a dick. But he’s not a horrible person. Just don’t date him, I guess. Plus I think he’s in love with Taylor.” Niall shrugged. 

“You think everyone is in love with Taylor,” Kendall said, seemingly unphased about Niall discussing her love life with a stranger. 

“I’m right, though.” Niall teased. “And for Louis…” He cleared his throat, looking around awkwardly. “He’s like this positivity destroyer.” Niall lowered his voice. “Like, you can't be around him without him making things awkward and uncomfortable for everyone.” He explained. “I’ve talked to Zayn about it before. He got super defensive about it.”

“That’s strange,” Harry noted. He suddenly remembered how Taylor had acted that night. How she had been slightly protective over Louis. 

Niall nodded. “Yeah, they’re super close. They grew up together I guess. There are rumors they used to date but no one knows for sure and they always deny it.” 

Kendall rolled her eyes at Niall.“But he really does treat Eleanor horribly. Like, booty calls at 3 am and then ignoring her for two weeks horrible.” Her expression gave away the disgust she was clearly feeling. “I mean, she never sets boundaries with him so it isn’t all his fault.” She mumbled as if an afterthought. 

“Maybe we’re just jealous,” Niall interjected. “They’re very close and no one seems to be able to get inside. It’s surprising Zayn even invited you to that party. Taylor told me I wasn’t even allowed inside. I don’t think they like me very much.” He laughed, unphased.

Harry furrowed his eyebrows, trying not to be offended at how Niall said it was surprising he was even invited. “Well, that’s just mean. Anyone should be able to go to a party.” He agreed quickly. 

“They’re a bit like a cult,” Kendall added absentmindedly. 

Harry hummed under his breath. “Sounds like it.” 

Twenty minutes and another matcha later and they headed back to the office. Harry, with a slightly clearer idea of how this town worked. How nobody truly hated anyone, just disliked them and everyone had their secrets, especially Louis.

Harry was slowly coming to regret ever associating himself with Zayn and his friends. He had to stay out of trouble. He couldn’t do anything that would put his job or future at risk. And even worse, if word got around to his parents back home that he was hanging around a bunch of drug users, he would be done for. 

“Do you guys want to come over after work?” Harry asked, deciding that Kendall and Niall would be safe friends.

“Sure.” Niall shrugged, chewing on the end of his pen. 

Kendall grimaced like it was the last thing she wanted to do. “Okay.” She decided upon, not looking up from her computer. 

At 6 o’clock they all left, driving toward Harry’s aunt's place in separate cars. Louis drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, listening to ‘Barely Legal’ by The Strokes. If he liked one thing about himself, it was his music taste, and maybe his hair. 

“This is nice,” Kendall noted as they entered Harry’s room, the first compliment to fall out of her mouth. She admired the tapestry on the wall with bored eyes. 

Niall made himself right at home, flopping down on the bed. “You even have a TV. Sick.” He fumbled for the remote, turning it on. 

Harry stood there awkwardly, not sure where to put himself. Remembering that this was in fact his room and not theirs, he sat down next to Niall on the bed, leaning against the wall that pressed against it. Niall flipped to some sitcom that Harry had never seen, his eyes wide with excitement. Kendall sat down in the desk chair, looking impatient. 

“What do you guys wanna do?” Harry asked slowly, feeling lame. 

Niall shrugged, too busy focusing on the screen in front of him. “I could do whatever, I never get bored,” Niall told him. 

“That’s because there’s nothing going on up there.” Kendall joked, pointing towards Niall’s head. 

Niall stuck his tongue out at her, “We could smoke.” He suggested. 

Oh, so everyone in this town does drugs. Great. 

“I don’t really do drugs,” Harry told them hesitantly before anything else could be said.

Kendall’s attention perked. “You’ve never been high before?” 

“No,” Harry said. 

“Interesting,” Kendall responded as if it truly was the most interesting thing in the world. 

Niall tore his attention away from the screen for a moment. “Do you want to?” He questioned. 

Harry looked down at his fingers, picking at his nails. “You know it’s always been one of those things that I just don't feel the need to do.” He said, once again feeling ridiculously lame. 

“Yeah, that’s what I said before I tried it for the first time.” Niall snorted. 

Harry’s ears perked slightly. “Is it really that great?” He asked genuinely. 

Kendall grinned, “We’re self-identified stoners, we don't drink but we smoke.” She explained while spinning around on the chair, not really answering his question. 

“And no hard drugs,” Niall noted. 

“Yeah, no hard drugs.”

Harry looked quickly between Kendall and Niall, confused and wanting answers. “You don’t drink but you smoke?” He asked. 

“It’s better for you, anyway.” Niall turned off the TV, rolling onto his back to stare at the ceiling. He had one hand placed behind his head and the other on his stomach. 

“Except I think it made Niall stupid.” Kendall giggled behind her hand. 

“Probably,” Niall smirked. 

Harry hummed quietly, thoughts running circles in his mind. If he was open to having a beer at a party shouldn’t he be open to this as well? Was he being close-minded? 

“Maybe sometime, I’ll try.” Harry murmured, still undecided.

“Honestly, no pressure at all man, we have tons of friends who are sober,” Niall said, propping himself up on his elbows. 

Kendall laughed. “We don’t have any other friends.”

“I mean...We’re sober right now aren’t we?” Niall said cheekily. 

They spent the rest of the night like that, ordering pizza and sitting around spewing jokes. At one point Kendall and Niall left to smoke a joint behind the garage and came back with red eyes and a mouth full of giggles. Harry found it funny, watching them stoned out of their minds. He watched them chow down the pizza, not pausing to breathe. They looked happy, calm, and content and Harry was slowly convincing himself that it wasn’t such a bad idea, that he should just give in a little.

As they turned off the lights, Harry pushed any and all thoughts of Louis away, falling into a dreamless sleep with Kendall and Niall right next to him.


End file.
